The high school students were excited to learn about coding and drones in this camp setting. Lydia Bloodsworth, a rising Junior at Brockton High School, said how happy she was to see so many other girls attending the camp. 

“I thought it was cool that half the people at the drone camp were females,” she said. “It gave me a lot of hope.” 

With STEM being a male-dominated field, it is powerful to see so many eager young women participating in this camp. Lydia said she came to the camp because she had been involved with an earlier drone competition hosted at Saint Anselm College in April.

“Science and math have always been my strong suits and I got thrown into the drone competition when I joined Empower Yourself in Brockton,” she said. “I got close with the people in the program. [Drone camp] was a new experience that helped enhance my skills in STEM.” 

During her final presentation for the camp, Liz Celestin, a junior at Brockton Highschool said, “I’ve learned a lot not only about the drone but about myself. It’s opened my eyes to other perspectives in discussion with people from vastly different backgrounds from me.” 

While drone technology and the science behind it can sometimes seem intimidating or complicated, this camp helped students learn in a fun and engaging way. Some of the students had no experience with drones going into the camp, while some were looking to expand their existing knowledge. Evan Foster from Newfound Regional High School appreciated the unique opportunity the camp offered. 

“Entry into drone technology can seem like a steep hurdle when you don’t have the opportunity and resources to learn. This camp gave us that opportunity,” Evan said.